"Social distancing" is the best way to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus absent a vaccine, experts say. And stay-at-home orders and other restrictions have kept the number of COVID-19 below the worst estimates.
But just how well the people of Florida and Brevard County in particular are doing is up for debate and subject to scrutiny.
Although many in Florida have been maintaining distance between themselves and others, the state has also seen an influx of crowds at beaches and parks as Friday marked one of the largest jumps in new cases since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Technology and data company UnaCast has been tracking how well counties and states across the country have been adhering to social distancing standards and recently gave Brevard County a "D minus" score. The Space Coast's grade had come up to a "C plus" by Saturday.
The grade can fluctuate based on people's movements as the company uses cellphone tracking data from a given day to determine how often people are leaving their homes, using non-essential businesses and visiting the same places.
What constitutes an essential businesses is loosely defined under executive orders from Gov. Ron Desantis.
Although essential businesses include staples like grocery stores and pharmacies, they also allow for professional wrestling to continue under the executive orders.
State Rep. Randy Fine said he believes the county has largely been doing a decent job of voluntary social distancing even as the peak of cases may be yet ahead.
"I think there’s always room for improvement. People always could engage in more social distancing," Fine said. "The more we socially distance the more we take care of each other."
Not everyone saw the citizens of Florida taking care of one another, however.
On Saturday, the hashtag #FloridaMorons even became the No.1 trending topic on Twitter in the United States as users took to the internet to mock those who flouted social distancing guidelines to flood the state's beaches.
Florida drew ridicule from around 55,000 people who saw images published in the Daily Mail of crowds flooding a Jacksonville area beach after it was reopened Friday evening.
Brevard County's beaches remain open for jogging, walking and surfing but closed for sunbathing or just hanging out, with all normal public parking options closed.
That comes a week after a FoxNews.com article put Titusville in the national spotlight after reports that crowds had gathered at Parrish Park last weekend.
"Most of what’s going on is really the honor system," Fine said. "Government hasn’t really put a heavy hand on people here. Police aren’t stopping you to ask where you’re going or anything like that."
Florida and Brevard County have not adopted as restrictive measures as other places while attempting to encourage as much voluntary social distancing as possible.
"I do't feel that giving people citations or threatening to fine them is a positive way to handle things," said West Melbourne city council member John Dittmore.
"Our numbers [in West Melbourne] have been lower because we took on those guidelines early," He said. "I believe in West Melbourne people seem to be doing the right thing on their own volition."
Over the weekend, heavy rains had brought with them their own social distancing enforcement.
Previously crowded parks and islands had subsided. All that was left at Parrish Park was a smattering of people under metal awnings with fishing poles leaned against picnic tables.
Others were cast netting over metal guardrails in the drizzle but all groups were spaced apart, adjusting themselves to the new normal both as a result of the rain and their own accord.
Rep. Fine said people everywhere should accustom themselves to social distancing until either a vaccine, treatments or herd immunity allow normal societal functions again.
"We’re going to be doing this for a long time," Fine said. "We’re going to live like this for a while."
Contact Vazquez at tvazquez@floridatoday.com, 321-917-7491 or on Twitter @tyler_vazquez. Support his work by subscribing to FloridaToday.com.
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April 19, 2020 at 07:11PM
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Brevard gets 'C plus' social distancing score as residents work to follow coronavirus restrictions - Florida Today
"score" - Google News
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